The City of Staunton kicked off its “Less to the Landfill” initiative this week by highlighting two upgrades made to the Staunton Recycling Center: one expanding access to food waste composting, the second, a co-mingled plastics recycling drop-off system.
Waynesboro needs to do something like this; all we do here is throw stuff away, in one big bundle.
Which, among other things, costs more.
Reducing costs is the push behind this “Less to the Landfill” thing in Staunton; they’re trying to reduce the city’s total landfill trash tonnage by 5 percent over the next year as a way to reduce how much the city has to pay to be part of the regional landfill.
“Our goal is to shift our community mindset so that throwing something in the trash becomes the last option, rather than the default,” said Josh Knight, the city’s engagement and communications manager Josh Knight.
Smart.
“This is the first step in enacting the vision Council articulated earlier this year in the Staunton Plan to ‘develop a plan to decrease landfill waste,’” Staunton City Councilman Jeff Overholtzer said. “It’s a step that yields financial as well as environmental benefits. By reducing landfill waste, we save money on landfill costs and reduce greenhouse gases that damage public health and the environment. We need everyone’s help in order to achieve our goal of a 5 percent reduction this year.”
Learn more
- For a complete breakdown of accepted plastics, composting guidelines, and more information on the city’s waste diversion efforts, visit staunton.va.us/lesstrash.
Effective immediately, residents visiting the Staunton Recycling Center can take advantage of the following upgraded programs:
- Expanded Composting Access: For years, local environmental advocacy group Shenandoah Green has led the charge on community composting by voluntarily staffing and funding collection bins at the Recycling Center for limited hours each week. To build on their foundational success, the city is partnering with Black Bear Composting and Shenandoah Green to launch a pilot program that makes food waste drop-off available anytime the Recycling Center is open. There are now four dedicated compost bins available for public use on-site.
- Co-Mingled Plastics Recycling: In a major win for resident convenience, the city is taking advantage of a current shift in the regional recycling market. A local processor will accept #1, #2, and #5 plastics mixed together in a single bin. Residents no longer need to separate these plastics by number, and bottle caps can now be left on as long as the containers are empty and clean. Because recyclables are global commodities, municipalities are tied to exactly what vendors will and won’t accept. Having a centralized, staffed drop-off location allows Public Works to quickly adapt to these market fluctuations, update residents on changing rules, and ensure our materials remain clean enough to actually be recycled.
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Chris Graham
